People take their favorite ads seriously! From Tony the Tiger to milk moustaches, many PR campaigns have left a lasting impression on people. Here are some of the best nominations from Digg.com users.
“A Diamond is Forever.” Created by N.W. Ayer & Sons, Inc. for De Beers, this slogan has been in use since 1948, ever since Frances Gerety, a young copywriter, dreamed up the famous line in her sleep. Thanks to the 1971 James Bond flick starring Sean Connery, this slogan remains etched in our minds—probably forever.
“They’re G-r-r-r-eat!” Back in the 1950s, Tony the Tiger growled his way into American consciousness with this memorable slogan for Frosted Flakes. Tony’s catchphrase has become one of the longest running and most recognized slogans in TV advertising history. According to AdAge.com, Tony the Tiger’s character has evolved over the years: he stands upright rather than on all fours, has traveled to more than 42 countries, and has a wife and a daughter.
“Gimme a Break, Gimme a Break” Since 1957, Kit Kat’s slogan has been “Have a break…Have a Kit Kat.” The commercials really took off in the ‘80s when boardrooms and newsrooms were shown breaking into song over a chocolaty wafer bar called Kit Kat.
“Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco Treat” Probably the most famous jingle in American advertising history, the first Rice-A-Roni commercial aired in 1959 and turned a sleepy family business, the Golden Grain Macaroni Company, into a food powerhouse that was bought by Quaker Oats in 1986 for $275 million.
“The Best Part of Waking up is Folgers in Your Cup” This line has been featured in every Folgers commercial since the 1960s. Throughout the years, the jingle has been rearranged and performed by many famous musicians, including Randy Travis and Aretha Franklin.
“Hey Mikey…He Likes It!” Created by the Doyle Dane Bernbach agency in 1972 to promote Life cereal, this commercial featured three brothers at a breakfast table daring one another to try a bowl of the “healthy” cereal. Little Mikey, who usually “hates everything,” dives in and quickly devours it, to his brothers’ amazement. When child actor John Gilchrist Jr. outgrew the role, an urban legend claimed he’d been killed by a lethal dose of Pop Rocks and soda. Hardly. He’s still alive and working in movies—as a grip.
“Don’t Leave Home Without It.” In 1975, Ogilvy & Mather created this slogan for American Express. The commercials were among the first to include celebrity cameos, including Jim Henson, Stephen King, and Jerry Seinfeld. In 1985, BBDO responded with “Visa, It’s Everywhere You Want to Be.” And not to be outdone in the plastic slogan war, in 1997, MasterCard brought the heat with “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.” Priceless.
“Nothing Outlasts the Energizer. It Keeps Going, and Going…” Produced by DDB Chicago Advertising for Energizer since the 1980s, this is the ageless slogan that accompanied the cool bass-drum-beating, shades-wearing pink bunny that has appeared on more TV shows and movies than the Baldwins.
“Pardon Me, But Do You Have any Grey Poupon?” Created for Grey Poupon by Lowe & Partners in the 1980s, this ad campaign featured a gentleman eating dinner in the back of his chauffeured car. At a stop sign, another aristocrat pulls alongside the car, rolls down his window, and asks for a spot of the ole Poupon. The strangely effective commercial has been parodied countless times in the real world and in fiction, perhaps most memorably in “Wayne’s World.”
“I've fallen and I can't get up.” Beginning in 1987, Life Alert ran this campaign for senior citizens who experienced medical emergencies while alone. There have been enough allusions to this ad in pop-culture to warrant a list of its own, but Will Ferrell falling off a cliff in Austin Powers only to shout “Help! I’ve fallen down a cliff, and I can’t get up” is a fan favorite.
“This is your brain on drugs.” Launched in 1987 as a large-scale anti-narcotics campaign by a Partnership for a Drug-Free America, this PSA featured an egg (“This is your brain”) and an egg frying in a pan (“This is your brain on drugs.”)
Can't get enough of these? Here's the full list from Fast Company.